enjoying the whole weekend.
Thanksgiving weekend is the signal that things are about to get a little more chaotic. Some days that means happy chaos, other days it’s just plan chaos, and then there are those times when it just plain feels like frantic, crazy chaos. Any way you slice it life moves, from whatever lane you’ve been in, to a faster lane.
I like to keep Thanksgiving weekend from feeling like Christmas is already here for as long as possible. I love Christmas but I like that feeling of grateful contentment, too. Relishing that fall air and the last few days before I start smelling cinnamon makes me feel like we slow down time just a little.
So…I’m sharing some fun things we’ve done over the next few days that give us a chance to just love the calm before the storm.
(photos are a mix of my nikon 300s and my iphone)
Ideas for Thanksgiving fun over the long holiday weekend:
Eat soup outside at night
During the day we made a couple of bowls of soup and went and sat out under the lights of the backyard. We had rolls and White Bean Chili and Chicken Noodle Soup. We all bundled up with scarves and mittens and hats and let the soup warm us from the inside.
Make a fire
Mike is excellent at stoking up a wonderful fire. We created our fire pit by just digging a hole in the ground and finding big rocks from different places and putting them around the rim. Over time, they’ve been switched out for bigger ones or better shaped rocks. The thing is…I didn’t want to wait until we could plan out and create a fire pit made out of beautiful rock. I wanted to begin enjoying it in our backyard before more months slipped by.
It’s not a fancy fire pit but we love it! Every time we get to sit out there together it feels like we’ve been transported from our schedules to a vacation in the woods.
Hot Chocolate and S’mores Station
Once the soup was devoured it was so nice to have hot chocolate to sip on in an attempt to make us feel warmed from the inside. That way the fire pit does it’s job better.
I just brought out a big pot of hot water and a couple of thermoses of hot water. There were hot chocolate packets in a basket and a can of whipped cream. From an array of mugs, everyone got to pick whatever cup they wanted to mix their cocoa.
Marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars were on the table, too, for those who were ready for some roasting (not as fancy as this hot cocoa table we did two years ago).
Whipped Cream Facial Art
A can of whipped cream can keep everyone occupied making facial art. Everyone wanted in on the chance to have a mustache or beard drawn on their face. It’s the simple things that keep people entertained.
Thankful Heart Tree
I’m sure you’ve already seen the Thankful Heart Tree on the blog here. We brought it outside with us and it gave everyone a chance to add their own gratitudes to the tree. It was fun to read new tags every time I walked by…
Pie Contest
When there are multiple delicious pies there has to be a viable reason for each person to have a piece of every pie, right? Enter the Pie Contest as a solution to such a dilemma.
Miriam went to her room and collected her ribbons that she has won at horse shows so that each pie could be honored with either a first, second, or third place mention. Anyone that wanted to participate was invited to a plate full of a tasting of each pie. The vote was taken and all pies received a ribbon.
Feats of Strength
After a bit of ax safety let the competition begin. Who can make the ax go the farthest into the log? This type of contest could go on all night. Trust me. They were still out there with Mike after everyone else had retreated back into the house for the night.
Be mesmerized
Toss things on the fire so you can watch all of the little ashes magically rise up into the night sky.
It’s not just boys who like to see what happens when a pine branch is added to the flames.
Hangout
So often we get one thing done and hardly take the chance to sit around, with the people we love, and really enjoy it. Give yourself the permission to hang out by the fire, chat, laugh, reminisce, tell jokes, sing songs, go around the circle and share your favorite memory about the person on your left and why that makes you grateful they are in your life.
Let your heart be filled up with what you love about the people who have poured good things into your soul and your life. I’m hoping that they are the people you get to be with this weekend.
Make sure to get great photos of your family this holiday! Make sure to get your FREE copy of The Art of Familyness Photography.
Davina Fear is a Familyness Adventurer. She believes it adds magic to dinner time to dine by the light of apples candles and then sit around a fire watching magic happen around the campfire in her backyard.
She blogs at davinafear.com and her workshop that helps you create awesome family photo stories, The Familyness Photo Workshop, is an awesome Christmas present for you and the people you love. 😉
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By day, I photograph families. By night, I build forts the size of elephants with my family. I live in a yellow house. I believe real life is the best getaway ever.
3 Comments
This looks like so much fun!!! I’ll have to employ these ideas in October here. We already have snow on the ground and 20 degree weather. So creative! I can’t wait for next year. 🙂
Teri, that’s right! I’ve seen a lot of places have snow super early this year. It is much colder here this year than last year…and it’s rained for the last few days so we will be inside for our celebration this year. But we could still do the pie contest, whipped cream facial art, hot chocolate station, hanging out, and some of the other in the comfort of the indoors. 🙂 I am so grateful that I know you, Teri! You are an amazing mom to have made it through this past year. I’m so grateful your family has been reunited with your husband and you’ve been having so much fun together. Happy Thanksgiving!
So fun! Thanks for sharing and being so creative!
Much Love,
LB